30 November 1998
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Ngawang Choephel transferred to Powo Tramo
[ read ]
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Woman in her sixties disappeared
[ read ]
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Tale of a former political prisoner
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Profile:
22 year-old prisoner dies shortly after release
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Religious teacher sentenced to seven years
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On July 1, 1998,
Ngawang Choephel
was transferred to the remote and high security
Powo Tramo Prison in Tramo County. Choephel, who has been imprisoned in
Nyari Detention Centre in Shigatse since August 1995 was moved to Drapchi
Prison, Lhasa, on June 27 1998. He was detained there for just three days
before being transferred to Powo Tramo Prison.
Ngawang Choephel, the 32 year-old Tibetan musician sentenced to 18 years imprisonment
and four years subsequent deprivation of political rights, has been transferred
to Tibet Autonomous Region Prison No. 2, formerly known as Powo Tramo Labour
Camp. His transfer has been reported by a reliable source in Tibet.
This transfer further inhibits the campaign of Sonam Dekyi, the mother of Ngawang
Choephel, who is currently conducting an international campaign seeking
permission from the Chinese government to visit her son in prison.
Powo Tramo Prison, an isolated high security prison, is located approximately
500 km east of Lhasa in a remote area of Dzona, Tramo County. Unlike
in other prisons, political prisoners detained here are denied any visitation
rights. The prison currently has a total of approximately 480 male
inmates. The prisoners are subjected to harsh labour and a poor prison
diet, and the movement of political prisoners is restricted solely to within
the prison grounds. Due to its isolation, information from the prison is
not readily accessible. The prison falls under Kongpo region (Ch: Nyingtri)
where China has its military base and the area is said to be restricted
to tourist.
Of the 480 inmates in Powo Tramo Prison, The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights
and Democracy knows of only 12 Tibetan political prisoners, each with long
term sentences. No information about the condition of these prisoners is
available.
Prisons in Lhasa are visited by foreign delegations to see the prison conditions
and political prisoners there have always received the attention of important
dignitories. However, due to remoteness of the Powo Tramo Prison,
no delegation has ever visited the prison. The recent transfer of Ngawang
Choephel indicates that China attempts to isolate him from international
attention.
Ngawang Choephel was reported missing in August 1995, a month after he travelled
to Tibet to research ethnic Tibetan folk songs. A former fulbright scholar
at Middlebury college in Vermont, USA, Ngawang Choephel was working on
a documentary about traditional music and culture.
On October 15, 1996 over a year since Ngawang Choephel's disappearance, the
Chinese finally admitted to his detention. He was subsequently sentenced
on December 26, 1996 on charges of ìspyingî for the exiled government of
His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Since then he has been detained in Shigatse
Nyari Detention Centre. He was transferred to Drapchi prison on June 27,
1998. During his detention in Shigatse, he appealed to the Higher People"s
Court in Lhasa on various occasions but these appeals were all rejected.
An inmate of Choephel, who recently escaped to India, confirmed that Choephel
was moved from Ngari Detention Centre to Drapchi Prison on June 27, 1998.
[ top ]
Ama Lhundrup Wangmo,
originally from Phenpo County, was a resident of
Metok Changsey Gora in Tsomonling, in Lhasa City. She was reportedly arrested
by Public Security Bureau (PSB) officials on political grounds. To date
nobody knows about her whereabouts.
On August 20, 1998, Lhasa Public Security Bureau (PSB) officials arrested her
after raiding her house, and she was taken to an unknown location.
Family members appealed to PSB office to reveal her whereabouts and requested
them to allow a visitation right. Their appeal was rejected. It is not
known to date where she is detained.
According to our source, who wishes to remain anonymous, Ama Wangla,
(as she is more commonly known) was in her sixties and had visited India twice
for pilgrimage.
Ama Wangla is known to be actively involved in visiting political prisoners.
She was arrested on two occasions by PSB officials, once in 1987 and then
again in 1993. Both on suspicion of involvement in political activities.
However, when they could not gather any evidence on her, she was released.
They had continued to keep a strict watch over her dealings and her movements.
[ top ]
Yeshi Kunsang
is a 25 year-old former nun of Shugseb Nunnery. She spent four
years in Drapchi prison from the age of 20. Today in exile Yeshi recounts
her story about her prison life.
On December 11, 1993, six nuns from Shugseb and I went to Barkhor in Lhasa
and started a short demonstration. The other six nuns arrested along with
me were;
Yeshi Chodon (23) from Toelung Dechen County, sentenced to 5 years imprisonment
and 3 years deprivation of political rights
Yang Dol (23) from Lhoka Gongkar County, sentenced to 4 years
Yeshe Chosang (26) from Lhoka Dranang County, sentenced to 4 years
Tsering Chodon (22) from Toelung Dechen County, sentenced to 3 years
Pen Dol (23) from Lhoka Gongkar County, sentenced to 4 years
Chemi Wangmo (26) sentenced to 4 years of imprisonment and
Yeshi Kunsang, sentenced to 4 years and 2 years deprivation of political rights,
all from Shugseb Nunnery.
We had no set plans but we wanted to continue a protest by eight nuns from
our Nunnery who were arrested the day before. Our demonstration started
at about 10 am in the morning. Within 10 minutes plainclothes policemen
from the PSB arrested all of us and took us to the police station in Barkhor
Square. Two PSB men took one nun at a time. When we staged the protest
we had nothing with us, not even banners or flags. At the time of arrest,
we were beaten, kicked and slapped all over. From the Barkhor police station,
we were transferred to Gutsa Detention Centre.
In Gutsa, for one year and nine months I was interrogated rigorously three
times a day. During these interrogations various forms of torture techniques
were used including electric cattle prods. The worst experience was when
they used these electric prods on my head, knocking me unconscious and
sending vibrations throughout my body. They would ask the same questions
repeatedly until they felt they had no more to ask. Our sentences were
passed and I was sentenced to four years imprisonment and two years deprivation
of political rights.
I was transferred to Drapchi Prison. Upon our arrival in Drapchi Prison,
the first thing we had to do was to undergo a medical check-up followed
by extraction of blood. We were not told anything about the ìmedical check
upî nor were we given any medication.
It was distressing to see the cells. There were no blankets or mattresses
and it was one of the coldest times of the year. We were given inadequate
food. Sometimes, when I could see the sun outside, it was exasperating.
We were only allowed to go outside very briefly to go to the toilet. Only
after nearly four months at Drapchi was I finally allowed visitation rights
and my family brought us food and blankets. This was allowed because we
pleaded consistently with the higher authorities. During the first month
we were given a task force to fleece work and had to fulfill a certain
work quota. As the nature of the work was completely new to us, the first
few days were extremely difficult. If we did not finish it on time we had
to work all night.
Another strenuous task during our stay in Drapchi was the army-like exercises.
If we failed to follow the exact instructions of these "exercises" we would
receive malicious beatings. Throughout my stay in Drapchi, I did not have
any opportunity to speak to any other political prisoners who were arrested
earlier. We were strictly restricted from even making eye contact with
them as the authorities feared that we would get together and arrange
independence activities. I was finally released on December 11, 1997.
[ top ]
Yeshi Samten
(layname: Tenzin Yeshi) was a 22 year-old former monk of Gaden
Monastery. He died one week after his release from Trisam Prison
on May 12, 1998. Yeshi Samten, also known as Tenzin Yeshi, suffered from
severe torture during his two years of imprisonment. At the time of cremation,
the person performing the funeral rites discovered that two of Yeshi's
ribs were broken.
Yeshi Samten was arrested on May 6, 1996 when Chinese "work-team" members
came to Gaden Monastery to conduct "patriotic re-education" sessions.
He, along with around 90 monks from Gaden Monastery protested against the
"work-team's" presence at the monastery and also against the removal of
all photographs of the Dalai Lama.
The strong opposition from the monks aggravated the "work-team"
members. Although they left the monastery, they returned with
more force. Around 3pm that same day in the afternoon, People's Armed Police
(PAP) reinforcements were sent in. The PAP men opened fire on the monks
injuring one monk, Dorjee, who was shot in the leg. Two other monks died
instantly and there were more than 90 arrests.
Yeshi was among those arrested. He was first taken to Gutsa Detention Centre
in Lhasa where his sentence was passed. Yeshi's prison term was set
to two years and he was transferred to Trisam 're-education through labour
Centre' in Toelung County. From the time he was arrested to
his imprisonment, Yeshi Samten was reported to have been brutally
tortured and beaten and in need of medical care and attention which
he failed to receive.
Moreover, his request to be exempted from prison duties was not accepted by
prison authorities. Throughout his entire prison term he was denied medical
treatment.
On May 6, 1998, Yeshi completed his term and was released. Upon his release
he was immediately taken to the hospital by his family.
However, he never recovered from his poor health. Yeshi was reported to have the
aid of crutches to walk. He died just six days after his release on May 12.
Yeshi Samten was from Tsangtog in Taktse Dechen County under Lhasa City.
He is survived by his mother Yangzom and elder brother Tsering Sonam.
His father Tashi Dhondup died at an early age. Yeshi Samten went
to school at the age of eight and left the school when he was 12 years
old to join Gaden Monastery in 1986.
Yeshi Samten's death brings the number of known deaths of Tibetans as a result
of torture recorded by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy
to 55. Of these 55 deaths, 17 political prisoners died after release from
prison or while in hospital. The difficulty of receiving information of
prisoners in prisons in Tibet means that many deaths go unreported.
[ top ]
The case of
Trulku Ka Bukey,
a 30 year-old religious teacher who has been held in incommunicado detention
for over a year, has been reported to TCHRD.
Ka Bukey taught at Nubsur Monastery in Serta County, Golog "Tibetan Autonomous
Prefecture", Qinghai Province.
It has just been confirmed that Ka Bukey was sentenced to seven years imprisonment
in December 1997 and is currently detained in Maowan Qiang County Prison,
which is a part of Ngaba County Labour Camp. He has been held incommunicado
since his arrest on February 10, 1996, by the PAP.
He was arrested for initiating a 25km peace march from his monastery
during the 40th anniversary of the founding of Serta County in July 1995.
He had also distributed pro-independence leaflets to the public and
was holding a Tibetan national flag and demanding Free Tibet.
The original Nubsur Monastery was more than three hundred years old but was
totally destroyed during the Cultural Revolution between 1966-76. After
renovation by local people in 1980, religious studies and practices
were resumed. From 1996, Ka Bukey became head of the monastery until
he was detained.
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